Folding bed.



M' o. E. ENBLL. y

, FOLDING' BBD.

- ruonmi; FILED Nov.1s,19oel. A

-Patentm oet. 6,1908.

v3 SHBETBL-SHEET 1, :JJ L9 l kam o. E. BNBLL. FOLDING BED, lA-PPLIOATLON IvLED NOV. 15; 1906.

'Patented oct. 6, 190s.

` 1 genus-SHEET 2.

@f ff-af/ @9 @f Patented o0t.6,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PII

UNITED sTATnsrATENT OFFICE.

OTTO E. ENELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO LEVI J. LENOX, OFDETROIT,

` MICHIGAN.

` FOLDING BED. l

` Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

i Application filed November` 15, 1906. `Serial No. 343,510.

To all whom it may concern: l i

Be it known that'I, Orro E. ENELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Oookfand State of Illinois,

have invented a new and useful Improve ment in Folding Beds, of whichthe following is a complete specification. i

This invention relates to folding` beds andy more particularly to areversely folding bed v in which the head and foot boards are adapted tobe folded from either side of the bed against the upturned bed bottom. y

Heretofore it has not been usual to so construct beds that the bedbottommaybe turned or folded to a verticalV position at either side of thebedstead and thus enable the bed to be set up with either` side adjacentthe wall. Furthermore it has not been usual' to provide sectional headfand-foot boards, the sections of which are hinged togetherto adapt themto fold inwardly against the up? turned bottom from either side of. thebed, dependent upon which end of saidboards the bottom rests. i Theob'ect of this inventionfis to provide a bed in W ich` the bedbottom ispivoted or hinged adjacent each lateral marginto the head and footboards, to enable it to `be turned u wardly on edge, so that the floorbeneath t e samecan be thoroughlycleaned Without removing the bed fromits position. Itis also an object to lprovide a bed in which the headand foot boards are provided with hinged joints to permit .them to befolded inwardly at either side of the bed against the upturned bedbottom and, when so folded, to support said bottom in an u rightposition and provide a very neat an `compact structure.

It is a further object of the invention torovide a very strong anddurable, reversely olding bed which7` when unfolded, provides a veryrigid construction, lnot likely to get out of repair and affording avery sanitary structure.

The invention consists of thematters here;

lar view showing the bed folded in its reverse' position. Fig. 6 is anenlarged, fra mentary vertical section of oneof the en boards. Fig. 7 isan enlarged7 fra mentary, top plan view, partlyin section, of one ofthepivotal 4or. hinged joints betweenthe bed bottom and endboards'. 8 80f'Fig.-`7. Y

As shown" in said drawings: A indicates as a whole-.one of the endboards ofthe bed, each of which is constructed identically `with theother, vand B indicates the bed bottom which'is pivoted or hinged to theend boards to enable itto swing upwardly on either side, similarly tothe construction shown in my applicationfor United States Letters Patenton beds, filed? Oct. 8, 1906, and bearing Serial No. 337951. Said endboards'. are

Fig.8 is a section taken on line Aeach constructed of a plurality ofsections enabling. the central section and either of the lateralsections to swing inwardly at approximately a right angle with the otherj lateral section when the bed bottomis in its verticalY position asshown more clearly in Figs. 4L and 5; f

. `The posts'A2 andA? may be constructed in any 4preferred vmanner andof: any preferred material and the lateral sections may be hingedJtheretol in any preferred manner but as shown, each comprises aninnertube a extending the full length of the pos-t and an'outer tubedivided into upper andV lower portions indicated respective y by a anda2, the vlatter'fof which is rigidly engaged on the tube a and extendsupwardly `approximately to lthe bed bottom B. The up er portion Ia/Vextends from thetop of the ed ottomto` near the top of the tube a and isadapted 'to turn thereon. The tubes a. are connectedy together neartheir endsby horizontalA bars a3 and 0,4 which maybe brazed or otherwisesecured to said tubes.

Rigidly engaged on each of the posts A2 and A3 in any preferred manner,Abut as shown, to the tubes a intermediate the tubes a and 0,2, are thelaterally directed arms or braces A5, the outer ends ofwhich curveinwardly and yare apertured to kreceive the lateral posts A and A4 whichare rigidly engaged therein. Said lateral posts may also be constructedin any preferred manner, but

one side of the bed. Owing to the fact that the outer ends of the bracesA5 are curved as shown, each comprises an inner tube a5 l towards thebed bottom the outer posts of which extends upwardly beyond and isrigidly engaged in the arm A5 and is provided with upper and lower outertubes a5 and a7 as before described in reference to the posts A2 and A3and the latter of which, a7, is rigidly engaged on the inner tube. Theupper ortion thereof is adapted to telescope with t e tube 0,5 and itsupper end is curved laterally and is provided with a vertical sleeve orcollar as which fits over the top of the tube a and permits said tube toturn therein. Having threaded engagement in the top of the tubes a arethe screw plugs of which are anged to engage over the sleeves a5 and notonly act to hold the parts together but also with the plugs (L10 in thebottom of the posts afford a neat finish.

Each of the braces A5 is provided at its end adjacent the post A2 or A3with an upwardly directed lug c which extends laterally beyond the post,on the outer side thereof and is adapted to engage against the tube a4and prevent the lateral sections from turning outwardly beyond the planeof the central section while permitting them to turn inwardly as beforedescribed.

Extending inwardly from the inner face of each brace A5, and as shownnear the posts A2 and A5, are the brackets A, each of which is providedwith an upwardly opening socket (L12 which opens through the inner endof the bracket by means of a slot or notch @15 aHording a bearing seatin which the bed bottom is supported.

The bed bottom B comprises a rectangular frame which may be of anypreferred material7 but as shown, is constructed of angle bars and isprovided at its ends with brackets B, which are set inwardly from theside members of the frame and are in alinement with the brackets A5.Extending outwardly from each bracket B is a journal or bearing b whichis adapted to seat on the bottom of the slot or notch a and is providedon its end with a ball or enlargement b which fits in the socket (1,12and when seated binds against the Walls thereof adjacent the slot,thereby forcing the adjacent faces of the brackets A6 and B into bindingcontact and preventing any endwise movement between the bed bottom andend boards. Upon said bed bottom B are engaged the springs C of anydesired construction and supported thereon is the bedding'D which whenthe bed bottom is turned to its vertical position is held in place bythe straps d engaged on said bottom.

The operation is as follows: When it is desired to fold the bed thebedding is secured to the bed bottom by means of the straps d and thenthe bed bottom is turned upwardly to a vertical position upon thebearings b at the end boards normally set in towards the bed bottomslightly beyond the interi'nediate posts and act to prevent the upturnedbottom from turning too far. The end boards are then folded inwardlyupon the intermediate posts adjacent the upturned bottom while one endsection remains stationary at each end, of the bed, so that the bed,when folded, rests upon two posts at each end.

When it is desired to unfold the bed, the end boards are turned back toplace and are caused by means of the lugs d engaging against the tube orrod a4, to stop in exact position to receive the bearings l/ in the.sockets. The bed bottom is then turned downwardly to its normalposition.

While the bed bottom is shown as having one flange of the anglebarsextending inwardly from the top of the other it is obvious that ifthe bottom is turned com )letely over the inwardly directed iiange willbe at the bottom of the other and may be utilized to support slats ifdesired.

Obviously the bed may be folded in either direction and for that reasonit is in'imaterial which side thereof is adjacent the wall.

Obviously also the sections of the end boards may be hinged in anypreferred manner and may be given any desired finish and may be providedwith artistic scrolls if desired.

l claim as my invention:

1. ln areversely folding bed the combination with a bed bottom, of endboards therefor, adapted to support the bottom in a vertical plane ateither end thereof and each comprising three pivotally connectedsections, either end section of which is immovable when the bed bottomis supported thereon, and the other end section and the central sectionof which turn inwardly against the upturned bottom.

2. ln a device of the class described the combination with sectionalhead. and foot boards, adapted to fold inwardly intermediate theircenters and each lateral edge, of a bed bottom supported thereon andadapted to turn upwardly on edge on the lateral sections at either sideof the bed and means adapted to prevent the lateral sections supportingthe bottom from turning` inwardly.

3. rl`he combination with a'reversely folding bed bottom of head andfoot boards therefor, each having two hinged joints intermediate itslateral posts and adapting a portion only thereof to fold from eitherside of the bed against the upturned bottom and means preventing saidswinging portions from turning outwardly beyond the plane of the boardswhile the bottom is in upturned position.

4. ln a device of the class described. the

combination with a head and a foot board,

tral section and two lateral sections and means affording `a-pivotalconnection between each lateral section and the bed bottom and adaptingthe bed bottom to be turned upwardly at either side of the bed andeither lateral section of said boards and the central section to befolded thereagainst while the other lateral section remains stationary.

6. In a device of the class described the combination with a bed bottomhaving longitudinally directed journals on each end thereof, of endboards for said bottom, each y comprising a central section and twolateral sections hinged thereto, and a bearing seat for one of saidjournals on each lateral section and adapted to hold said sections rigidwhen the bottom is supported thereon in upturned position.

7. In a device of the class described the combination with a head and afoot board, each having two lateral sections hinged thereon, of a bedbottom, pivotal connections between said bottom and said lateralsections adapting said bottom to be turned lupwardly at either side ofthe bed, corresponding lateral sections at either side of the bed beingadapted to remain stationary when the other sections are folded inwardlyagainst the upturned bottom.

8. In a bed vthe combination with a bed bottom of sectional end boardstherefor, means for folding a part of the sections of Y each end boardinwardlymeans adapted to hold the remaining sections rigid with respectto the bottom and means at the pivotal points of said sections adaptedto prevent the sections from turning outwardlyv beyond their normalplane. n

9. In a device of the class described the combination with the endboards of a bed, each comprising a central section and'lateral sectionshinged thereto and adapted to fold inwardly from the plane thereof,means directed j ournals thereon rotative adapted to prevent saidlateral sections from turning outwardly from the plane of the centralsection, a bearing seat on the inner side of each lateral section, a bedbottom and means thereon adapted to rotatively engage in said seats andlock the bottom and boards together.

10. Ina device of the class described the combination with the endboards of a bed, each comprising a central and two lateral sections, abearing seat on each lateral section, an upwardly swinging bottom,horizontal bearings thereon adapted to engage in said seats and meansadapting the central and one end `section of each board to fold inwardlywhen the bottom is upturned.

11. In a bed of the class described the combination With the head andfoot boards of abed,.each having two outer and two intermediate posts, abearing seat between the outer and the intermediate posts, a bed bottom,bearing members thereon adapted to engage in said seats and adapting thebottom to be turned upwardly at either side of the bed, and meansadapting said boards to fold inwardly upon the intermediate posts aspivots and against the upturned bottom.

l12. In a device of the class described the combination with sectionalend boards, of means adapting either end of said boards to swinginwardly on a vertical axis, a bed bottom pivoted thereon and adapted toturn upwardly` between the lateral end sections at either sides of thebed and means for folding the remaining end sections against theupturned bottom.

13. In a device ofthe class described the .combination with folding,sectional end boards, of bearingseats thereon intermediate their ends, areversible bed bottom and journals on said bottom rotatively engaged inseats.

14. In a bed of the class described the combination with the end boardsthereof, of upwardly opening bearing seats intermediate the ends of saidboards, a bed bottom extending laterally beyond said seats,longitudinally y engaged in said seats and means on said journalsadapted to lock the boards to the bottom.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two witnesses.

OTTO E. ENELL. Witnesses:

W. W. WITHENBURY, i MATIE WITHENBURY.

